


Like the Stars Chase the Sun

by commaspice



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Apologies, Canon Compliant, F/M, post cows and consequences
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:00:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25402732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/commaspice/pseuds/commaspice
Summary: “I just want to talk Kiki.” For a second he thought she might shut it again, but instead she opened the door just a little more, gestured for him to enter.“I don’t know if I’m ok with you calling me that right now,” she said with a waver in her voice. “I’m still upset you know.”
Relationships: Keyleth/Vax'ildan (Critical Role)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 31





	Like the Stars Chase the Sun

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a while since I've written anything, please forgive improperly used commas! Also please forgive any clunky phrasing as I get back into the groove of writing things.
> 
> Title from Florence + the Machine's 'Queen of Peace'

It was still dark as they walked back from the farm, stars still glittered in the sky, the moon hanging low and bright. The group group was hushed but lively on the walk back to Greyskull Keep. Vax hung to the back, walking in line with his sister, painfully aware of Keyleth walking behind the rest of them, head tilted ever so slightly to look at the stars. 

“Forty gold is a lot for cows,” Vex lamented beside him. “Well worth the price of our good reputation I suppose.”

He nodded, “I think we all needed that kind of win today.” She understood every meaning in his words and glanced behind her.

“You should talk to her. I know you didn’t mean to hurt her, but you did.”

“And have you hear all of it Stubby? No thank you, I’ll do it when we get back.” Taking the words back wasn’t an option, he didn’t mean for them to come out like they did. All he wanted was to ease the tension, make everyone feel heard, and make the point that they could all work to be better. Tiberius certainly escalated the situation, and instead of just finishing the conversation, they paused it indefinitely. 

Normally their anger with one another abated in after a good showing, but he’d never known Keyleth to be this upset with any of them. After Vasselheim things felt different between them in a way that he wasn’t quite prepared to take an honest look at. There was an important feeling building, and soon he would give it a name. First he had to clear the air, make amends.

“Do whatever you want brother. The sooner you do the sooner you stop moping about,” she bumped his shoulder with hers. They maintained their pace, Scanlan in high spirits singing a song until their keep came into view. Then, as it always seemed to go, chaos erupted as soon as they approached.

It was already a late night, and once all was said and done they quietly dragged themselves from the depths of the keep to the stairs. Keyleth’s hand was still covered in dried blood from the roc, and he slowed his pace to get in line with her. 

“Is your hand all right?”

“It’s fine,”

“Do you need anything?”

“Nope.”

_Well shit._

They were ships passing in the night the week that followed. Most mornings he wandered past the garden hoping to get a moment to talk, say anything. He did his best to head out close to dawn, knowing she found the early morning hours best to tend to the growing plants. One of those mornings he pulled the keen dagger from his belt and cut a full petaled, orange flower at the stem, tucked it into his cloak and made his way to the butchers shop.

He stayed out the better part of the day, the moon just started to rise into the sky when he walked home. It had been three days since their argument, and he couldn’t keep hoping that luck would favor him. That night he walked up to her door and knocked.

There was a quiet rustling on the other side of the door, and then no answer. The voice in the back of his mind said to turn back; he steeled himself against it and knocked again, “Keyleth?” Suddenly there was no noise at all, softer this time he said “Keyleth, I want to-“

The door pulled open, not all the way, just enough so she could peek out with a furrowed brow and a frown on her face. “Vax I’ve been in Tiberius’s lab all day, if it’s something small I might be able to make something happen, but he said he needs me again tomorrow and probably the next day. I have stuff I want to do before we leave too.”

“I just want to talk Kiki.” For a second he thought she might shut it again, but instead she opened the door just a little more, gestured for him to enter.

“I don’t know if I’m ok with you calling me that right now,” she said with a waver in her voice. “I’m still upset you know.”

He nodded, “that’s why I came here, so understood. You’ll tell me when it’s ok?”

She shrugged avoiding his eyes. There was a potion kit on the floor, steam or smoke gently billowing from the top. Plants grew lush around her room, a vine climbed up a wooden ladder in the corner, the light seemed dimmer in here than in his own room he noted. That wasn’t important right now.

“You said you wanted to talk,” she said creating more space between them. “So talk.”

Vax wanted to close the gap, but she needed the space to feel safe in this moment so he kept still. “I’m sorry,” he saw her hand hesitate over a blossom at her window. “There’s no excuse for bringing up what happened to that boy.”

“You’re right, there wasn’t.”

He nodded, “I want us to be better as a team, better people.” She turned her head the slightest bit, her posture softening slightly. “You make this team better.” He inched closer, slowly, like he was approaching a creature in the woods. “Following your lead kept that roc alive.” 

“Scanlan talked him into the plan,” she scoffed.

“It was your decision to let it live,” Vax reminded her softly. “If any other jackass, present company included, took the lead it would have been a sad day for that druid, and his beast.”

Slowly she turned, closing the space between them enough that he knew he could reach out and squeeze her hand if she would let him. “We made a difference, right?”

“We did,” Vax promised. “I think we have dark days ahead, but we should do our best to try to do that again.” He inched closer, “at the very least I will promise to do that whenever I can.”

Keyleth stepped into his space, and wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her chin on top of his shoulder. “Thank you,” he felt her take a deep breath. He ran his hand along her spine. They stayed that way for a few minutes, before he remembered the kit on the floor and the hour.

“I should leave you to what you were doing,” he backed away slowly, dragging his hand through his hair. 

“Right, it’s going to be a busy week,” she agreed softly. He turned and started to walk toward the door before she said his name, “good night.”

“Good night Keyleth,” he answered back.

“Kiki’s fine too,” she said before he shut the door and he turned back, “I mean if you want.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow Kiki.”

**Author's Note:**

> I have [a tumblr](http://www.sansapotter.tumblr.com), I've been pretty inactive on there as of late. I have a few more plans for a few more fics in this fandom though so the activity might increase as I go. Thank you for taking the time to read!


End file.
